The synthesis of S-glycosyl sulfonamides wherein the primary sulfonamide functional group (-SO(2)NH(2)) is directly attached to the anomeric position of a carbohydrate moiety is reported. Our general approach consists of first introducing a thioacetate group at the anomeric center of a per-O-acetylated sugar derivative. From this follows formation of a glycosyl sulfenamide (sugar-SNR(2)), oxidation of the sulfenamide to give a glycosyl N-protected sulfonamide (sugar-SO(2)NR(2)), and removal of the sulfonamide protecting (R) group to yield a primary sulfonamide at the anomeric center (sugar-SO(2)NH(2)). A variety of mono- and disaccharide derivatives were synthesized using this new methodology.

The first example of a Pd-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost reaction, applied in a photochromic micellar media under conventional heating and microwave irradiation, is reported. The surfactant activity and recycling ability were investigated and compared with those of a few commercially available surfactants. The synthetic photochromic surfactant proved to be efficient, recyclable, and versatile for Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions.

A novel photochromic azobenzene-based surfactant was described for organic chemistry in water. The molecule 4-butylazobenzyl-4'-triazologlucuronic acid sodium salt thus synthesized can be isomerized from its trans to its cis form reversibly in solution by simple light irradiation. That property allowed the recyclability of a model acetylation reaction performed in the surfactant media, compared to the well-known, commercially available sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant media.